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International Women's Day: Meet Ayah Bdeir and Watch Her Take on Legos

On this International Women's Day, meet Ayah Bdeir. Born in Beirut, she is the founder & CEO of littleBits. Her company's electronic building blocks are quickly going to replace your kids' Legos and make them love learning. And that's exactly she epitomizes #AlphaRising.

Ayah Bdeir, founder and CEO of littleBits, is an entrepreneur, inventor, and interactive artist.

Born in Canada and raised in Beirut, she studied at MIT and that's where she decided to change the way we teach our kids.

Her company, littleBits, makes electronic building blocks that encourage kids to invent things. She has partnered with Disney (DIS) and created a Star Wars-inspired Droid Inventor Kit that won Toy of the Year.

Currently she is working with Pearson (PSO) to get her toys in classrooms everywhere.

She was named a TED Senior Fellow in 2013 but she is not just a leader in technology and education space.

She is voice, politically.

Back in February, Bdeir's mom, who still lives in Canada, was supposed to visit her in New York City.

But when President Trump signed an executive order temporarily banning immigrants from seven predominately Muslim nations--and Syrians indefinitely--Bdeir was worried that her mother, a Canadian citizen, born in Syria, may not be allowed into the country.

So her company put up an ad on a Times Square billboard, that said: "We Invent the World We Want to Live In," It was written in both English and Arabic.

The hope was to "counter the idea that Arabic is foreign...by associating the script with a positive message," she says.

And this is why, on International Women's Day, and every day, Bdeir epitomizes #AlphaRising.

If you're fortunate enough to work from home in your fuzzy slippers (wait until you see mine!), consider taking the home office deduction on your tax return this year. Watch our video to see if you qualify!